Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
GABE
Sometimes rich people sucked. The gala the night before had been full of entitled assholes who ignored our safety protocols until someone almost got hurt. Then they had the balls to try to blame our team. Marco wasn’t having any of it. The client wasn’t happy to be told off by a six-foot-four, tattooed ex-Navy SEAL, but they listened anyway. We probably wouldn’t get their business again. No loss there.
Working security at gigs like that was not my favorite thing to do, but it paid the bills and allowed us to do the rescue work we really loved. Technically, I didn’t have to do the security gigs to pay my bills, but Marco was my brother in all but blood, and I would do anything for him.
We had another security job closer to home tonight at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, only twenty minutes north. Since it was a nice day, I decided to have lunch in downtown Asbury. The air was crisp and fresh with the smell of salt from the Atlantic Ocean.
I took advantage of the beautiful weather by walking to the restaurant. As I was passing by a small park on Cookman Avenue, I noticed a man sitting on a bench with his head in his hands. I frowned because he looked familiar. Then I saw the tattoos on the backs of his hands.
I walked over to him. “Nico?”
He startled, and his head shot up. His eyes were red-rimmed, and his plush lips were turned down in a deep frown. When he saw it was me, he relaxed a bit. He tried to surreptitiously wipe his eyes before he spoke. “Oh hey, Gabe.”
I barely restrained myself from putting my hand on his shoulder. He was so tightly wound he’d probably run a mile if I touched him. “Hey, yourself. You seem to be having a rough day. Anything I can do to help?”
He shook his head. “Not unless you have a job for me.” He waved his hand to indicate the general area. “I’ve been all over town looking for work. Either they don’t have anything, or they turn me away as soon as they find out I have a record.” He ran his hand over his face. “I thought doing it the old-fashioned way, face-to-face, would show them I’m serious, but some people take one look at me and just say ‘no.’”
Well, shit. “Didn’t you say something about the electrician’s union the other day? What happened with that?”
“I called them this morning. They said because I only just started when I went to prison and I’d been out so long, I’d have to take the test again to get back in. And they’re not administering the test until January.”
“Well, that just sucks all the way around,” I said.
“Yeah, it does.” He ran his hand over his short hair. “The worker from DCPP said I need to get a job to support my son. I can’t even get a job washing the fucking dishes in a restaurant.”
The despair in Nico’s voice broke my heart. In the short time I’d known him, I’d seen how hard he was trying. I knew how much he loved Cody. “Maybe you could ask Miguel if there’s something available at the hotel.”
He shook his head vehemently. “I can’t. I can’t ask them for one more thing. They’ve already done so much for me.”
“I understand.” An idea came to me, but I knew I’d have to run it by Marco. I got his attention. “Listen. I might have something. I just have to make a phone call.”
He nodded but didn’t look hopeful. “Okay.”
I walked a few feet away and hit Marco’s number. I hoped he wasn’t all tangled up with his cute nurse. He picked up on the first ring. “Go for Marco.”
“Can we give Nico a job?” I blurted out.
There was a long silence on the other end before Marco responded. “Why am I giving Nico a job? I thought he was going back to the electrician’s union.”
I told him what Nico had told me. He growled. “Jesus, the guy can’t get a break.”
“Tell me about it.” I glanced over at Nico, who was staring down at his hands. “So, what do you think? We could try him out at Count Basie tonight. It’s a small venue, and the group’s fans are pretty mellow.”
There was a long silence before Marco answered. “Okay. I’ll have to run it by Tony, but I doubt he’ll say no.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks, man. He looks so defeated. I want to give him a chance.”
“I get it,” Marco said. “But you’re in charge of him tonight. You can’t put him in any critical places.”
“I know. I’ll look out for him.”
“And call Santino,” he added. “Find out why the hell it’s taking them so long to expunge Nico’s record.”
I snorted. “He’s been out less than a week.”
“Yeah, but this shit’s been going on for months. Tino submitted the request for review in May. They’re just salty because they got caught taking shortcuts.”
“Probably.” I noticed Nico moving restlessly on the bench, his leg bouncing with his anxiety. “I’m gonna go. Nico’s waiting for me to come back.”
“Christ, Gabe,” he complained. “Didn’t your parents tell you not to ask for things while your friend stood there listening?”
I shrugged even though he couldn’t see me. “I walked away so he couldn’t hear me. Besides, this is important.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled. “Just don’t make me regret it. I want to help the guy, but this is my family’s business. You get it?”
“I get it. I’ll make sure he does everything right.”
“I’m counting on it.”
I heard a voice in the background, and then Liam got on the phone. “Hi, Gabe.”
“Hey, Liam.”
“Marco’s going to be busy now.” There was a pause. “He said be there by five.”
I heard Liam chuckle, and then the call ended. I smiled and shook my head. It was good to see my friend finally happy after what he’d been through.
I went to where Nico was sitting. His whole body was tense like he was waiting for someone to jump him. Now that I thought about it, that was probably the case for him in prison. He sat up straighter when I approached. “So, I talked to Marco, and he said you can join our team tonight. We’re doing security at the Count Basie Theater tonight for a Beatles tribute band. It should be a pretty laid-back night. The fans are mellow and mostly on the older side.”
Nico stared at me, surprise etched in his expression. “For real? That’s…wow. Why would you do that? You don’t know me.”
I shrugged. “I know enough. I know you need a job, and I have the ability to help you. Consider it a trial run. If it doesn’t work out tonight, then it doesn’t. No hard feelings.”
Nico’s shoulders hunched. “I don’t know much about being a security guard.”
“For this gig, there’s not much to know. It’s a low-risk event, so none of us will be armed. We just keep the crowds away from the performers and make sure everyone is behaving themselves.”
He swallowed hard. “I’m not real good with crowds. They’re not a great thing to be part of in prison.”
Well, shit. “I can imagine. Fortunately, there’s plenty to do that doesn’t involve crowd control.”
He gave me a jerky nod. “Okay. I can do something like that.”
Inexplicably, a feeling of relief washed over me. I chalked it up to really wanting to help Nico. “Great. You can ride in with me if you want.”
He smiled shyly. “That would be good. Thanks.”
“Listen, I was about to get lunch at Talula’s. Why don’t you join me?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, and his cheeks turned pink. “Sure. But it’ll be my treat. It’s the least I can do to thank you for helping me out.”
I opened my mouth to object, then closed it again. Nico probably already felt like a free-loader living with Zach and Miguel rent-free. Pizza at Talula’s wasn’t going to break the bank. “It’s a deal.” I gestured in the direction of the restaurant. “After you.”
Talula’s was only about half-full since the lunch rush was over. Nico and I sat at the end of one of their long family-style tables. He looked around the large space with its bare brick walls and exposed beams and smiled sadly. “Allie loved this place. We used to go here a lot before…” He closed his eyes. “Before I fucked up.”
I instantly felt bad. “I’m sorry. Do you want to go somewhere else?”
He shook his head. “Nah. There’s so many places we used to go. I’d never go anywhere if I tried to avoid them all.”
The server came just then to take our orders. Both of us got our favorite kind of personal pizza and a beer. After she left, I leaned forward and said, “I’ll bet you miss Allie.”
A complicated expression crossed his face. He let out a long breath. “I loved Allie. She was a great person and fun to hang around with. I was really excited about being a dad. I would have done what was right and married her.” He paused. “But I don’t think of her as the love of my life.” He smiled wryly. “I’m not even sure there is such a thing. At least for me.”
That made me sad for some reason. I’d known what it was like to love someone with my whole heart. I’d seen how happy Marco was with Liam after he thought he’d never find love again. “I hear what you’re saying,” I replied. “I don’t know if I believe everyone has ‘one true love’ meant only for them. I do know that my friends who have found love seem very happy.”
He smiled. “Zach and Miguel sure are. I was pretty surprised to find out he was bi. But knowing what his father’s like, Zach keeping that part of himself hidden was the best choice for him. I sometimes wish I had done that.”
My brows rose. “You’re bisexual?”
“Yeah. Though I haven’t dated a guy in a while.” A deep frown creased his brow. “When I was seventeen, my mother caught me with a guy and lost it. My parents threw me out and refused to pay for college. Not that I wanted to go anyway. They were the ones pushing for it. My best friend’s parents let me move in with them while I finished high school. After I graduated, I got a job at a construction company doing grunt work.”
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered. “You’d think I’d be used to hearing these shitty stories by now.”
“Did that happen to you?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Nah. My parents didn’t care that I was gay. But they didn’t like that I joined the Navy.”
“What’s wrong with joining the Navy? I would think they’d be proud of you. Especially since you made it into the SEALs.”
I huffed a bitter laugh. “You would think. But you’d be wrong.”
“I don’t get it,” he said. “Why are parents like that?”
We paused when the server brought our food. For the next few minutes, we ate in silence. Finally, I answered Nico’s question. “I think some parents have kids with the idea that they’ll be able to mold them to be perfect little clones of themselves. The idea that their children could have thoughts and opinions that differ from theirs doesn’t occur to them.”
“I guess you’re right,” Nico said. “My parents wanted us to be doctors. When I failed to be what they wanted, they tried to pour it all on my brother, Damian. I helped him apply for engineering scholarships behind their backs. They were not happy with me.”
I had to laugh. “Man, parents are too much sometimes.”
His expression grew serious. “I hope I can be a better parent to my son than my parents were to me.”
“I know you might not think so, but I think you’re making a good start.”
He gave me a small smile. “I hope you’re right.”